I buy all of mine at Costco for about 3.79 lb. But they are whole bellies. I haven`t made any bacon in a while since I started slicing the bellies and leaving them on the smoker for about 3.5 hours. It melts in your mouth like butter.

Here's the money shot on my first try. Looks edible to me!

Most definitely edible. Well done.

I started my second pork belly curing a few days ago. I am trying an Equilibrium Dry Curing method this time. I used my reloading scale to measure out the quantities of the curing agents.

Yes, measured the important stuff in grams on an electronic scale.

Let me just say this stuff makes up into a fabulous BLT.

Today I completed the process for my second attempt at making home cured and smoked bacon.

The first attempt I used a Wet Brine technique. In this technique water is added to the curing materials. The pork belly is then submerged in the solution. Today's bacon I used a Dry Brine method. The curing agents are applied to the meat without the addition of water.

Tomorrow I will taste my end product in a BLT.

Wow looks damn good. I try to find the fattiest pork bellys i can find to roast for a dinner with super crunchy pork skins
to eat, but have been thinking of try to make bacon as well.. anyone have recommendations for the best cure?
Also best recommendations for smoking, Pecan , oak, fruit wood, everybody knows hickory, I think mesquite would be a bit to strong?

TLoving, did you get the dry brine recipe at Amazing Ribs? Dang, you sure are picking some nicely balanced pork bellies.

After I started my first belly curing I found the Smoking Meat Forum. In that forum I found the ratios of salt/sugar/cure that was often cited as used by members on that forum. I cross checked other places and decided that I would use 1% sugar, 2% salt, 1 Tablespoon of Black Pepper plus the required curing salt amount.

Those ratios produced a good sugar/salt ration. Next time after curing but before smoking I am going to add additional black pepper.


As far as picking pork bellies, I am just lucky. No magic here.